Salem Circle K robber sentenced to six years

January 18, 2013

LISBON - A Salem man who robbed a Circle K in Salem with a knife last June was sentenced Thursday by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam to six years in prison.

Justin A. Zimmerly, 26, West Pershing Street, Salem, was accused of entering the Circle K on East State Street, at 11:28 p.m. on June 17, while wearing a toboggan hat with eye holes pulled over his face. Zimmerly brandished a knife toward the clerk and stole $128.

Zimmerly had a look out, Charles Crank, 54, East State Street, Salem, who has already been convicted and sentenced in December to five years for complicity to aggravated robbery.

Zimmerly was also sentenced for unrelated charges of receiving stolen property, forgery and possession of drugs. However, any time in that case is to run concurrent with the six-year sentence.

Those charges were from a check written by Zimmerly on the account of Brittainy N. Adair on April 19, 2011. Additionally he had Heroin Hydrochoride in his possession on June 10, 2010.

According to Assistant County Prosecutor Ryan Weikart, Zimmerly was set for an intervention sentencing on the earlier charges when he missed the hearing because he had been arrested due to the armed robbery. Zimmerly reportedly attributes his criminal past to drug issues.

In another case Thursday before Washam in Common Pleas Court, Douglas G. Pridemore, 43, last known address Dresden Avenue, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for 100 days already served. Pridemore, who reportedly has been living in the Myrtle Beach area for the past several years, had left the county just prior to sentencing on charges of burglary and possession of drugs.

Those charges were from breaking into the home of Molly and John Gamble to steal a big screen television in December 2008 and for cocaine in his possession outside Dan's Bar in October 2008.

Leaving before sentencing led the prosecutor's office to add two additional charges of failure to appear. During the sentencing, the failure to appear charges led to the addition of six months to the 12 month sentence for the first two charges for a total of 18 months.

Prior to sentencing, Pridemore's defense attorney James Hartford had asked for testimony from Pridemore's girlfriend and her teenage son. The girlfriend, Tonya Neville, said Pridemore did not tell her about the charges until after they moved to the Carolinas. However, while there, Pridemore reportedly worked 12-hour days and took care of Neville, her two sons and her daughter.

"He became a man there," Neville said. "He was a good man. He tried to steer (the children) away from the bad life."

Pridemore asked for leniency, claiming he went away to get away from the drug issues which seemed to continually land him back in jail in Columbiana County. By going away, Pridemore claimed he was able to rehabilitate himself.

Before sentencing, Hartford also showed Washam a case where another man was convicted of drug trafficking, noting Pridemore had served as the confidential informant for the authorities in that case.